Grain and seed cleaner, separator, and grader



Sept. 26, 1939.

c. N. HATFIELD 2,174,322

GRAIN` AND SEED GLEANER, SEPARATOR, AND GRADER Filed Aug. 18, 1937 Sept. 26, 1939.

c. N. HATFIELD 2,174,322

GRAIN AND SEED CLEANER, SEPARATOR, AND GRADER Filed Aug. 18. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1111111 w x f 5 'a/IIIIIIIII Sept. 26, 1939. c. N. HATFlr-:LD 2,174,322

`GRAIN AND SEED CLEANER, SEPARATOR, 'AND GRADES Filed'Aug. 18, 1937 4 metsgsheet s 2 Z- g. 4 '/3 I4/4 l; 1 'l l/ .K M7 I? 43 'il '74 Il l I/ I n l I '44 .afa

, 2 f @Zig Z @aga @CaCl/dumm v m wouw/13 Sept. 26, 1939. c. N. HATFIELD GRAIN AND SEED CLEANER, SEPARATOR. AND GRADER Filed Aug. 18, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles N. Hatfield, Fountain City, Ind.

Application August 18,

Claims.

The invention relates to grain and seed cleaners, separators and graders, and has for an object the provision of certain improved knockdown features for the purpose of better adapting the ma- 5 chine for storage, crating and shipment and of better protecting the parts against injury. Another object is to provide the long or lower shoe 'with means for adjustably reducing the area of the upper screen thereof to thereby increase efciency. Anotherobject is to provide the short o-r upper shoe with improved means for holding down oats, straws and small sticks which may be admixed with the grain or seed so that during passage over the chaff screen of said shoe they will not pass therethrough along with the grain or seed. Another object is to provide the air duct with grain board means to effect greater separation of the chaff or lighter impurities. Another object is to improve the construction` of the upper and lower shoes for the purpose of avoiding the use of weakening grooves in the sides thereof wherein the screens customarily slide. Another object is to provide an improved elevator for delivering the separated and cleaned grain or seed to the bags and to better adapt the spout of said elevator to hold said bags. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the machine.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the same, with the hopper removed and parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section of the machine, with the adjusted position of certain parts shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a side view of the machine, with parts folded or knocked down for crating and shipment or storage.

l Figure 5 is a front end View ofthe machine.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Figure 3, with parts broken away.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 1 1, Figure 3, with parts broken away.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of the upper shoe.

Figure 9 is a similar view of the chaff screen thereof.

Figure 10 is a similar view of the oil cloth cover for said screen and its frame.

`Figure 11 is a similar view of the lower shoe with screens in place and parts broken away.

p Figure 12 is a detail longitudinal section of the base box with screens in place therein.

1937, Serial N0. 159,778

In these drawings, the numeral I designates the upper inner sections of th-e standards of the supporting frame of the machine, and 2 the lower outer leg sections of said standards, pivoted to said inner sections at 3, said upper sections having an upper rear cross bar 4, connecting the rear of said upper sections at opposite sides of the machine, and upper longitudinal bars 5, connecting the upper sections at each side of the machine, the bars 4 and 5 constituting a top frame connection for said upper standard sections open at the front of the machine.

The hopper 6 is supported at its rear end upon the cross bar 4, and at its forward end has lateral blocks I resting upon the longitudinal bars 5, the main portion of said hopper being located above said bars 4, 5, and said inner standard sections I, and the lower portion thereof extending within said bars 4, 5, and said inner sections I, said hopper having rear lower vertical pins 8, engaging recesses 9 of said cross bar to hold the hopper in place.

Located within said upper standard sections I and permanently connected thereto is the drum 9, constituting the fan casing, said drum having a lower air duct extension` I0.

Upper and lower screen carrying shoes Il and I2 are also located within said upper inner standard sections I.

Located within the lower outer leg sections 2 of said standards is a base boX I3 into which the floor of the lower shoe discharges as will be described, said base box being removably connected to said leg sections by bolts I ll, and serving as a brace for said lower sections to hold the same rigidly in position and as a stabilizer to hold the machine steady on the floor.

The hopper 6 is provided with a sliding adjustable gate I6, having an operating handle iron il, adjustment of said gate being controlled by a wing nut threaded upon a bolt I8, said wing nut having clamping engagement with said iron, thus insuring an even steady flow of the grain or seed.

The upper or short screen carrying shoe II, wherein the chaff screen is located, is located in the space I5 between the hopper 6, the air duct extension Ill and the forward cylindrical wall of the fan casing, and has support at its rear end upon a cross rod I9 of vibrating mechanism for said shoes to be described and at its forward end rests and slides upon the forward end of the air duct, said shoe having lower rear notches 25, engaging said cross rod removably.

The lower or long screen carrying shoe I2 is located below the fan casing and its air duct extension and is pivotally connected at 2l with levers of said vibrating mechanism as will be described, said levers having fulcrurns on said air duct. The machine is provided with an adjusable support for the lower end of this long shoe, as shown at 22, said support having a slot, and a clamp bolt 23 engaging the slot to hold the adjustment, thereby enabling the inclination of the shoe to be varied for different grain or seed.

The chaff screen 24 of the upper shoe is pron vided with means to hold down small sticks, oats and straw so that they will not pass through the screen with the grain, comprising a flexible cloth cover 25 attached to and sagging from forward and rear transverse bars 26 of a rectangular frame 26 of said shoe to provide a middle portion 25" contacting the screen and forward and rear end portions 25 of opposite low angular relation to and elevated from the screen, whereby said cover is held to its work against tendency to crumple and pile up the grain in the crumples during screen reciprocation. As any flexible cover contacting the screen tends to impede free flow of the grain, the cover 25 is composed of oil cloth having the polished finished side downmost to facilitate free flow of the grain over the screen.

Located within the delivery end portion or mouth of and carried by the side walls of the air duct extension I8 are upper and lower short overlying inclined spaced grain boards 28 and 29, spaced forwardly of the upper and lower walls of said air duct extension, the grain being discharged upon the upper board 28 from the grain board 30y of the upper shoe Il, said grain board 28 discharging upon the lower grain board 29, the latter discharging upon the upper screen of the lower shoe I2. The lower wall of said air duct extension is provided with a forward upturned end portion I8', aligned with the upper grain board 28 and terminating forwardly on a level with an intermediate portion of the lower grain board 29 and below the lower edge of board 28, to thereby direct the blast mainly in the passage between the upper board 28 and the upper shoe and to direct a portion of the blast in the passage between the upper and lower boards 28 and 29, whereby the lighter impurities remaining after passage of the grain over the upper grain board 28 will be removed as the grain drops from the upper board 28 to the lower `board 29, these upper and lower grain boards being differently inclined to gradually contract the passage therebetween and gradually increase the force of the blast.

The air deflector 21 is adjustable to control the blast to suit the grain or seed being cleaned, and has a carrying rod 32, one end of which is bent to form a handle and the other end of which is provided with a wing nut threaded thereon to hold the adjustment.

In dry seasons, grain or seed are frequently smaller than in other years, and in such cases too much of the good seed or grain will ordinarily pass through the upper screen of the lower shoe, or there will be admixture of the good or large and the small or second grade seed or grain, and admixture of the second grain seed or grain with the third grade or with any remaining impurities.

In order to correct this, the upper screen 33 of the lower shoe is provided at the forward end portion thereof with means to adjustably coverthe same to thereby reduce the separating area of the screen whereby there will be more or less of said screen for the grain or seed to travel over, this being provided for preferably by a short length of oil cloth 34, secured at one transverse edge thereof to the forward edge of the lower shoe, and hanging downwardly when not in use, being brought up and over the screen as required to a greater or less extent. This cover 34 has its finished or polished side uppermost to facilitate the travel of the grain or seed discharged thereon from the lower short grain board 29, the unfinished or rough side of said cover being in frictional contact with the top surface of the screen to sufficiently hold the adjustment so that other means for holding the adjustment are not required. The unused portion of said cover 34 is looped downwardly below the screen out of the way. See Fig. 3, dotted lines.

By having less of the screen for the grain or seed to travel over, it does not have the same opportunity to pass through the screen, thereby increasing the yield of rst and second grade grain or seed and avoiding admixture thereof with other grades or with impurities.

The upper shoe Il is open at the front at 35, and comprises side frame bars, a rear frame bar connecting said side frame bars and a grain board 3@ connecting the lower edges of the side frame bars from said rear frame bar forwardly for the major portion of the length of the shoe, said side frame bars having forward end portions 36, extending beyond said grain board, said forward free end portions having at the ends thereof a cross rod connection 31, headed or bent at one end thereof at 38 and at its other end having a wing nut 39 threaded thereon and engaging said free end portions of the side bars so that the latter may be adjusted inwardly to clamp the chaff screen 24, the latter being adapted to be readily fitted within the shoe and to be held therein by the clamping means aforesaid without the use of weakening grooves in the side frame bars as customary. This chaff screen 24 is readily removable from the shoe on loosening the wing nut 39 on the cross rod.

The lower shoe i2 is also open at the front at 48, the side frame bars of said shoe being connected at the forward ends thereof by a cross rod 4|, one end of which is headed or bent at 42 and the other end of which is provided with a wing nut 43 threaded thereon, upon tightening of which said side bars of the shoe may be adjusted inwardly to clamp the screen frame of said shoe in position without the use of weakening grooves in the side bars of the shoe as customary. One double screen or upper and lower spaced screens 44 of a single frame 45 is used at a time in this lower shoe. This double screen is readily removable from the shoe by loosening the wing nut of the cross rod. The lower end of the screen frame is held against lifting by a turn button 46 of the shoe.

The single chaff screen of the upper shoe is held spaced from the grain board 38 thereof in rear by a lower cross bar 41 and forwardly by cross rod 37 whereon the screen frame rests.

The rst grade of seed or grain traverses the upper screen of the lower shoe and at the lower end thereof is diverted to one side by grade strips 4l upon a grain board 48.

Second grade of seed or grain passes through the upper screen of the lower shoe and traverses the lower screen of said shoe, being diverted to the opposite side by grade strips 49 upon a grain board 50.

The third grade of seed or grain (or the impurities) pass through the lower screen of the lower shoe to the floor of this shoe, designated 5|, and are delivered through a lower spout extension 52 of this floor to the base box I3.

Different screens can be used for separating or grading the seed or grain,there being oustomarily four single chaff screens 24 and four long double screens, one long double screen being used in the lower shoe and one single screen in the upper shoe at a time.

The means for reciprocating or vibrating the screen carrying shoes comprises lower upright levers 53, having fulcrums 54 on the air duct casing and pivotal connections 2| with the lower shoe, the levers at opposite sides of the machine having at the upper ends of their upper arms a cross rod connection I9, engaging the notches 2U of the upper shoe; upper upright levers 55 having at their upper ends fulcrums 56 on the supporting frame and intermediately of their lengths pivotal connections with said cross rod I9; shaker bars 5l having at one end pivotal connections 58 with the lower ends vof said upper levers and at the other ends thereof engaging eccentric pins 59 of small sprocket gears 60 on the fan shaft 6I, sprocket gearing on one side of the machine having a chain E2, engaging one of said small sprocket gears 5B, and a large sprocket gear 63, the latter having an operating handle 64.

The rst and second grades of seed or grain are delivered to opposite sides of the machine as stated to a double elevator 65, the casing of which is provided with a central vertical partition 65', dividing the same into two laterally opposite compartments wherein work bucket conveyor sprocket chains 66, each sprocket chain being located centrally of its compartment and engaging at its upper end over upper sprocket wheel it of shaft 6l and at its lower end passing around a cylindrical roller 'I2 of shaft 61', said roller being located transversely of the lower receptacle titi of the elevator casing and being journaled in the side walls thereof, the buckets 69 of said chain dipping into said receptacle and discharging at the upper end of said casing into spout l@ having screw connection 'II with the casing.

The two grades of seed or grain are delivered from the grain boards 48 and 50 of the lower shoe to said lower receptacle 68 of said casing so that each elevator takes care of its own grade of seed or grain.

The elevator casing at the lower front thereof is provided with a removable closure 'I4 for cleaning out purposes, a turn button 'I5 holding said closure in place.

The spout 'Ill of the elevator casing has upper and lower inclined spaced walls, the upper wall being spaced at its upper end at 10 from said casing and provided with bag-impaling pins 'I6 in line therewith, the lower wall of said spout being spaced at its lower end inwardly from the, lower end of said upper wall to provide a horizontal interval lll" for passage of the grain or seed into a bag suspended from' said spout, with an edge portion of the mouth of the bag impaled upon pins l5, the upper spout wall being adapted to support said bag in part and reduce the strain of the weight of bag and contents upon said impaling pins. The sides of the spout frame have extension provided with lower notches adapted to receive the edge portion of the mouth of the bag opposite that edge portion engaged by said irnpaling pins, and thus prevent the mouth of the bag from closing, The spout being double is adapted to use of one bag for both elevators or one bag for each elevator.

`Sprocket gearing connection 8| is provided between the upper lcarrying shaft B'I of the double elevator and the fan shaft.

When the machine is to be stored or crated and shipped, the elevator is removed by disconnection of clamp bolts 'I9 and brace bars 80. The bolts I4 connecting the base box I3 with the lower outer sections leg 2 of the standards being removed, said leg sections will be released and may then be folded upwardly on their pivots 3, these pivots at one end of the machine being lower than at the other end so that the forward of said outer leg sections 2 may be folded upwardly into horizontal position on the outside of the upper inner sections I, and the rear of said outer leg sections 2 may be folded upwardly on their pivots into horizontal position also on the outside of said sections I and almost immediately below said forward sections 2. Inasmuch as the pivots 2| of the long or lower shoe are on the same level as the pivots 3 of the rear sections 2, the lower shoe is foldable on said pivots 2| into horizontal position on the same level as that of said folded rear sections 2, thereby leaving a space within the lower ends of the upper sections I and between the folded lower leg Sectio-ns 2 wherein the lower shoe Il may be fitted after it is lifted to disengage the lower rear notches 28 thereof from the cross rod I9 and slid out from between the sections I.

The hopper 6 is demountable from the supporting frame by lifting it slightly to disengage its pins 8 from the recesses or seats 9 of said frame, the hopper being then slidable to remove its lateral blocks 'I from said frame, whereupon the hopper will drop by gravity and come to rest upon lthe top wall of the air duct extension within the space I5 vacated by said upper shoe.

The base box I3 is provided with lateral inclined strips I3 normally engaging the inclined leg sections 2 of the supporting frame standards, and which in case the bolts 4 are not used, will serve as a substitute for said bolts in preventing the folding of the leg sections and displacement of said base box, the machine being readily liftable from said base box to release said leg sections for folding and to release said base box.

The base box I3 being released is useful as a container for the screens of the shoes for storage thereof against injury, said box being fitted with a cover 65.

I claim:

1. In a grain and seed cleaner, separator and grader, a lower vibratory shoe having an inclined screen, and an upper vibratory shoe having an inclined screen delivering to the screen of said lower shoe; the screen of said lower shoe having an adjustable imperforate flexible cloth cover for the upper portion thereof and on which grain passing through the screen of the upper shoe is adapted to fall and to travel to the uncovered portion of the screen, the adjustment of said cover serving to regulate the effective area of said lower screen.

2. In a grain and seed cleaner, separator and grader, a lower vibratory shoe having an inclined screen, and an upper vibratory shoe having an inclined screen delivering to the upper portion of the screen of said lower shoe; the screen of said lower shoe having an adjustable imperforate ilexible cloth cover for the upper portion thereof and on which the grain passing through the screen of the upper shoe is adapted to fall and to travel to the uncovered portion of the screen, the adjustment of said cover serving to regulate the effective area of said lower screen, said cover being of oil cloth with the polished finished side uppermost to facilitate passage of the grain thereover and the rough unfinished side downmost in contact with the screen to hold the adjustment, the unused portion of said cover being looped downwardly below the screen out of the way.

3. In a grain and seed cleaner, separator and grader, a supporting frame having lateral inclined standards including lower pivoted leg sections, upper and lower Vibratory screen-carrying shoes, a fan and a fan casing having an air duct extension located Within said frame, and a base box into which said lower shoe in part discharges; said base box having lateral inclined strips normally wedgingly engaging and preventing folding of said leg sections, the machine being readily liftable from said base box to release said leg sections for folding, and to release said base box.

4. In a grain and seed cleaner, separator and grader, a supporting frame having lateral standards provided with lower leg sections pivoted and foldable to lie upon different levels, a fan, a cylindrical fan casing having a lower air duct extension, a hopper mounted upon said frame, an upper screen-carrying shoe located in the space between said hopper, said air duct extension and the forward Wall of the fan casing, a lower screen-carrying shoe and means for vibrating said shoes; said upper shoe being removable and insertible in the space between those of the folded leg sections having lower pivots, said frame having upper seats, said hopper having at one end depending pins engaging said seats and at the other end lateral blocks resting on said frame, said hopper being liftable to disengage said pins from said seats and then slidable to remove said blocks from said frame, the hopper being then adapted to fall by gravity upon said air duct extension in the space vacated by said upper shoe.

5. In a grain and seed cleaner, separator and grader, a supporting frame having lateral standards provided with lower leg sections pivoted and foldable to lie upon different levels, a fan, a cylindrical fan casing having a lower air 'duct extension, a hopper mounted upon said frame, an upper screen-carrying shoe located in the space between said hopper, said air duct extension and the forward wall of the fan casing, a lower screen-carrying shoe and means for vibrating said shoes; said upper shoe being removable and insertible in the space between those of the folded leg sections having lower pivots, and said hopper being removable from said frame and insertible in the space vacated by said upper shoe.

CHARLES N. HATFIELD. 

